TO M. M. KHARITONOV

Written:Written on January 27, 1916Published:First published in 1929 in LeninMiscellany XI.

      Sent from Berne to Zurich.

      Printed from the original.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      Progress Publishers,1971,

      Moscow,Volume 36,

      page365.Translated:Andrew RothsteinTranscription\Markup:R. CymbalaPublic Domain:Lenin Internet Archive.You may freely copy, distribute,
	display and perform this work, as well as make derivative and
	commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
	Archive” as your source.•README

DearComrade,

Ishould very much like to go to Zurich for two or three
weeks to work in the libraries on a piece of
research.[1]My wife also. So far we have no papers, but hope soon to
get them. The question is whether we shall be able to overcome
the financial difficulties. I would very much ask you to reply
frankly andwithout exaggerationto the following questions:

(1)Whatnetincome can there be (i.e., for me) from a
lecture? Minimum and maximum? The subject: “Two
Internationals”: the growing division and rupture with
the social-chauvinists throughout the world. Is it possible
to increase the income by giving two lectures, and by how
much?[2](2) Will the local comrades help the two of us
to get cheap accommodation?
(3) How much will it cost
to have a room (for two, even if with a single bed)per
week? The cheapest, preferably in a worker’s family?
(4)
Dinner in a canteen, if there is one (here we pay 65 centimes
in a students’ canteen)?
(5)Morgenkafeeand coffee in the
evening, because, of course, we cannot do our own
housekeeping in Zurich?

Thecost of the journey will be 7x4=28 francs; extra
expenditure on living in another town? That is the question.
The room situation here is bad. Do you happen to know a
worker’s family which could reliably promise to put us up
cheap?

Ishall be very grateful for a frank reply, but without
any wild promises.

BesteGrüsse,Yours,Lenin

P.S.Are there any cheap self-service food counters
or the like, and what are the prices?

[1]Areference to Lenin’s work on his bookImperialism, the
Highest Stage of Capitalism.

[2]InZurich, Lenin read two lectures: on February 17, 1916, “Two
Internationals”, and on February 26, 1916, “‘Conditions of Peace’
in Connection with the National Question”.